Quick Itinerary Overview

This accommodated 5-day Kruger National Park and Sabi Sand Safari spends two nights in budget bungalow accommodation at Pretoriuskop Rest Camp inside the Kruger National Parkand two nights in a comfortable yet affordable lodge inside the Sabi Sand Game Reserve, which shares unfenced borders with Kruger Park.

This unforgettable budget safari takes you on a truly African wildlife adventure, guaranteeing excellent game viewingin two of South Africa's best game parks within the Greater Kruger National Park teeming with wildlife.

As part of this excellent value for money Kruger National Park and Sabi Sand Safari, we take you on morning, afternoon and night game drives in open 4x4 safari vehicles with professional safari guides inside both the famous Kruger Park and the Sabi Sand Game Reserve. This budget Kruger Park and Sabi Sand Safari package also includes game park entry fees and all meals and drinks shown on the itinerary.

Itinerary for this Tour

Day 1: Johannesburg to Kruger National Park – South Africa

The five day Kruger Park Bungalow and Sabi Sand Lodge Safari starts off in the bustling city of Johannesburg. The safari departs from OR Tambo airport at around 8h00, or 8h30 from two departure points near OR Tambo airport, where we can arrange pre-tour accommodation for you at an additional cost. Here you will meet up with other guests and continue to Nelspruit Airport (KMIA) in a larger bus. Arriving at KMIA between 12h00 and 13h00 you switch to an air-conditioned minibus for the remainder of your transfer to Kruger National Park, South Africa’s premier game reserve.

Entering the world-renowned Kruger Park we make our way to Pretoriuskop Rest Camp. The game viewing adventure begins as soon as we enter the gates of this diverse wildlife park. Upon arrival at Pretoriuskop between 15h00 and 16h00, your safari guide will help you check into your budget Kruger Park bungalow accommodationwithin this top national park. Then we embark on our first exhilarating game viewing drive into the African bush, going in search of the abundant wildlife inhabiting this vast national park.

The sunset game drives in Kruger Park usually lasts about 3 or 4 hours depending on the success of the game sightings. The exciting Kruger game drive ends back at Pretoriuskop Rest Camp, before the gates close for the night. The sunset drive is conducted in a Kruger Park vehicle with a Park’s ranger. This is not a private game drive and children under six years are not allowed.

Back at our Kruger rest camp, there will be some free time before dinner, which is served at the dining facility at camp. Dinner will be the hearty culinary delight of a traditional South African meal, giving you a taste of truly South African cuisine, prepared by your hostess. This fine local meal can be accompanied by South African wine or an alternative such as a soft drink, bottled water or beer, which can be arranged with your hostess.

After dinner, you are free to relax around the fire recounting the wildlife adventures of your first day of game viewing in Kruger Park, one of Africa’s best game reserves.

Meals included: Dinner

Please Note:

In the rare case that Pretoriuskop is fully booked, we stay at either Skukuza or Berg-en-Dal rest camps. When you inquire about the tour we will inform you if an alternative to Pretoriuskop rest camp is to be used.

Day 2: Kruger National Park – South Africa

An early morning wake up call from your safari guide gets the day started with the rising time depending on when the park gates open. The opening hours of Kruger gates vary in different seasons according to park management practices.

Once you are up you can head to the dining facility at the rest camp for coffee or tea and rusks (local tea biscuits).

After the morning snack, we set off on a morning game drive, an excellent time of day for game viewing, in an open 4x4 safari vehicle.

The morning bush drive lasts for about three to four hours and follows routes that provide superb photographic and game viewing opportunities. Upon our return from the morning drive brunch will be served at one of the dining facilities at Pretoriuskop Rest Camp.

Brunch is followed by leisure time at the Kruger camp, during which you are free to enjoy the camp facilities or take a rest. Swim in the large pool set off on the self-guided walking trail along the perimeter of camp or watch for hippos and other wildlife at the dam in front of the restaurant.

The afternoon game drive takes you back into the Kruger Park bush in search of its abundance of wildlife at about 2:30 to 3:00pm, departing from the dining facility. The afternoon game drive takes about three to four hours after which we make our way back to Pretoriuskop before the camp gates close.

Back at the Kruger camp, you have time to freshen up before dinner, which will be served in the centrally located dining facility.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 3: Kruger National Park to Sabi Sand Game Reserve – South Africa

An early wake-up call is followed by some morning coffee and snacks. This morning we pack up and venture back into the wilds of Kruger Park in search of its diversity of wildlife and birds. We stop for a picnic breakfast inside Kruger, before continuing with our game viewing as we slowly make our way out of Kruger Park.

On day three of the Kruger Park Bungalow and Sabi Sand Lodge Safari we leave Pretoriuskop, heading south to the exclusive Sabi Sand Game Reserve, which forms part of the Greater Kruger National Park wilderness area.

Once outside Kruger Park we drive straight to our affordable lodge accommodation inside Sabi Sand Game Reserve. This accommodated wildlife safari offers budget travellers the unique opportunity of experiencing the more exclusive Sabi Sand Park staying inside the game reserve at affordable lodge accommodation. There are no fences between the private Sabi Sand reserve and Kruger Park, which ensures superb wildlife sightings of the free-roaming wild animals, including several endangered species and the Big Five.

We aim to arrive at our comfortable, yet affordable lodge in Sabi Sand Game Reserve in time for lunch leaving some time to freshen up before our afternoon game drive adventure. The game drive in an open 4x4 safari vehicle lasts for about four hours taking us into the evening when we head back to the safari lodge.

When we get back dinner is served out under the starry African skies around a welcoming fire. After dinner guests can relax around the fire and swap stories from another unforgettable day of game viewing in the Greater Kruger National Park.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Please note: You can embark on an optional Panorama Route tour on the morning of day three, packing up and leaving Pretoriuskop early in the morning. This optional tour replaces the morning game drive in Kruger and is included in the tour price. See below for details.

About Sabi Sand Game Reserve

Sabi Sand Game Reserve, a 65 000 hectare private reserve within the Greater Kruger National Park, offers a more exclusive safari experience than the main Kruger National Park wilderness area.

The Sabi Sand Reserve shares 50 km unfenced boundary with Kruger National Park and generally offers upmarket safari accommodation for the discerning traveller. The Kruger Park and Sabi Sand Lodge Safari is unique in that it offers the budget traveller an affordable package with lodge accommodation within the Sabi Sand reserve, as well as staying inside the Kruger.

Sabi Sand is famous for its superb leopard sightings, with the likelihood of sighting these large cats in Sabi Sand being higher than in the surrounding wildlife parks. Not only are the chances of spotting leopards in Sabi Sand very high, but safari vehicles also frequently get as close as three to four meters from these amazing predators making for excellent photographic opportunities.

Day 4: Sabi Sand Game Reserve – South Africa

Another early start, the day begins with a quick coffee before embarking on a morning open vehicle game drive in the diverse Sabi Sand Game Reserve, in search of Africa's fascinating wildlife.

The morning game viewing drive is followed by a hearty breakfast back at our safari lodge inside Sabi Sand. After breakfast, you have some free time to relax in this tranquil African bush setting and lounge by one of the lodge swimming pools or take an optional bush walk to get a closer look at the interesting flora and fauna in this part of the world.

At around 2:00 pm lunch is served at the safari lodge after which we take an afternoon game drive that lasts into the evening. This thrilling night game drive gives you a chance to spot some of the interesting nocturnal wildlife in Sabi Sand.

We return to our Sabi Sand lodge after this exhilarating adventure in the African bush to enjoy dinner and leisure time at the lodge.

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included

Day 5: Sabi Sand Game Reserve to Johannesburg – South Africa

On the last day of the Kruger Park Bungalow and Sabi Sand Lodge Safari we rise early and have a morning coffee before venturing back out into the famous private reserve in search of Africa’s wildlife. This will be our final expedition into the African wilderness to photograph and sight the wild animals of Sabi Sand.

The morning game drive is followed by breakfast back at our comfortable Sabi Sands lodge. After breakfast we leave Sabi Sand Game Reserve in our air-conditioned minibus, driving back to Nelspruit Airport. Arriving between 12h30 and 13h30 we board a larger bus and proceed to our lodge at OR Tambo. From here you can transfer to alternative post-tour accommodation in Johannesburg, arriving between 17h00 and 18h30. Airport transfers from our lodge to the airport can be arranged, or you can spend an extra night at our selected post-tour lodge, bringing our 5-day Kruger Park and Sabi Sand Safari to a close.

Meals included: Breakfast

Optional Panorama Route Trip:

You have the option of exploring South Africa’s renowned Panorama Route, in place of the morning game drive in Kruger Park on day three.

One of the most scenic parts of South Africa, the Panorama Route highlights include the Blyde River Canyon, Three Rondavels, Lisbon Waterfalls and God’s Window. The Panorama Route Excursion departs in the early morning and includes breakfast in one of the quaint towns along the way. After visiting the scenic attractions of the Panorama Route we drive to the lodge in Sabi Sand, arriving in time for lunch with the rest of the group.

You can decide if you want to replace the morning game drive on day three with the Panorama Route activity, during the course of your safari.

About Kruger Park

South Africa's flagship national park, Kruger Park is world-renowned for its superb game viewing and is one of Africa's largest and best game reserves.

Kruger National Park is home to an unrivalled diversity of African wildlife (including the Big Five) and is considered a world leader in terms of its environmental policies and management practices.

About Pretoriuskop Rest Camp

Pretoriuskop Rest Camp lies in south-western Kruger Park in a diverse area of woodlands, grasslands and rocky granite hills. As the oldest rest camp in Kruger Park, Pretoriuskop is a great place to explore the historic highlights of Kruger including the first tourist hut, built at camp in 1930.

This accessible Kruger Camp, near Numbi Gate, features rambling lawns, exotic vegetation and a natural rock pool for swimming. Facilities include a shop, restaurant, shared kitchen and cafeteria, amongst other conveniences. The historic Pretoriuskop Rest Camp is named after the nearby hill where Voortrekker Willem Pretorius is buried, not far from the dramatic granite dome called Shabeni Hill.

Wildlife and birds are often spotted in the diverse area around the camp even though the rocky outcrops, tall grasses and woodlands reduce visibility. Wildlife sightings include a variety of antelope species (kudu, waterbuck, sable, red duiker, Lichtenstein’s hartebeest and oribi), as well as leopards, buffalos, wild dogs, hyenas, rhinos and elephants. The camp attracts an interesting array of birds and is also close to some of the historic highlights of Kruger Park, such as the old Voortrekker trading route and the birthplace of the famed Jock of the Bushveld.

Choosing between Private and Public National Parks

So what's the difference between the Kruger National Park and Sabi Sand Game Reserve and other private game reserves?

Comparing the two types of wilderness areas is not straightforward because they offer a somewhat different safari experience. Kruger National Park is viewed as the “Great Unknown” - a vast game park full of wildlife surprises.

In the Kruger Park the game watching is mostly a matter of being in the right spot at the right time to catch the action. The Kruger safari guides are however very knowledgeable about this diverse game park and have a good idea of where to look for the various wild animals, increasing the chances of sighting these animals. The Kruger Park safari guides readily share their knowledge enabling visitors to learn a lot about the flora and fauna of Kruger on a safari in the park.Kruger Park offers an element of surprise that attracts many visitors to this national park.

In a private game reserve like Sabi Sand you are almost guaranteed to experience excellent game sightings. In the private reserves, the safari guides usually keep in contact via radio so that any game sightings are instantly shared by alerting those in the vicinity of the wildlife sighting.

On this Kruger National Park and Sabi Sand Safari you don't need to choose as you get to experience the best of both public and private safari options, enjoying South Africa's leading Kruger Park and intimate game viewing experience of Sabi Sands Game Reserve.

Please Note:

This five day accommodated Kruger National Park and Sabi Sand Safari is also available as a three-day safari and a four-day safari package. For more information please contact African Budget Safaris.

Pre and Post Tour Lodge Rates:

Please note that we offer convenient pre and post tour lodge accommodation for before and after your Kruger Park Safari, which can be added to your tour booking upon request. The 4-star lodge accommodation is located 10-15 minutes from the OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. For pricing information on Pre and Post tour accommodation follow the Link

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